1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to towing accessories and, more particularly without limitation, to hitches for connecting a fifth wheel or gooseneck trailer to a towing vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fifth wheel hitch is used to connect a fifth wheel trailer or a gooseneck trailer to a towing vehicle. Although there are variations in which such a trailer is connected to the towing vehicle, typically the trailer includes a cylindrically-shaped kingpin extending vertically-downwardly from a horizontally-oriented trailer plate, with the kingpin having a smaller-diameter portion and larger-diameter portions.
Fifth wheel hitches generally include a horizontally-oriented hitch plate. The trailer plate and the hitch plate jointly provide abutting bearing surfaces for operatively supporting the front end of the trailer when the trailer is connected to the fifth wheel hitch of the towing vehicle.
Fifth wheel hitches also generally include a skirt extending rearwardly and downwardly from the hitch plate. An access opening, which is centrally-located in the hitch plate, extends rearwardly to a rear edge of the plate and continues along the skirt. The skirt and access opening assist a user to properly align and guide the kingpin and the trailer plate as the trailer is being connected to the towing vehicle.
Fifth wheel hitches include a kingpin receiver which generally includes a pair of opposing jaws for lockingly capturing the smaller-diameter portion of the kingpin so the towing vehicle and the trailer can operatively pivot relative to each other about the kingpin to accommodate yaw as the trailer is being towed around a corner for example.
The fifth wheel hitch may include a gimble mounting to accommodate instantaneous variations in pitch and/or roll attitudes between the towing vehicle and the trailer. Prior art fifth wheel hitches generally employ various arrangements for capturing the kingpin between the jaws, employ various arrangements for locking the kingpin in the jaws, and employ various arrangements for unlocking the jaws from the kingpin. The various arrangements generally include a number of moving parts and sometimes several linkages, which are subject to excessive wear, substantial maintenance and ultimate failure arising from the adverse conditions to which the components of fifth wheel hitches are normally exposed.
Applicants are unaware of any prior art fifth wheel hitches wherein a kingpin directly contacts the jaws of a fifth wheel hitch to thereby directly and positively capture the kingpin between the jaws, to substantially reduce the number of moving parts of the hitch, and to eliminate the need for linkages for closing, locking and/or releasing the jaws of the hitch.
What is needed is a fifth wheel hitch wherein the kingpin of a trailer being connected to the fifth wheel hitch directly contacts the jaws causing them to thereby directly and positively capture a kingpin therebetween.
What is also needed is a fifth wheel hitch wherein the number of moving parts of the hitch is substantially reduced.
What is further needed is a fifth wheel hitch wherein the need for linkages for closing, locking and/or releasing the jaws is eliminated.
What is yet further needed is a fifth wheel hitch having a relatively simple structure and straightforward assembly, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
For many prior art fifth wheel hitches, two persons are generally needed to connect the trailer to the towing vehicle, one person to back the towing vehicle to properly dispose the kingpin in the fifth wheel hitch and the other person to lock the jaws about the kingpin or, when disconnecting the trailer from the towing vehicle, one person to release the jaws from the kingpin and the other to drive the towing vehicle away from the trailer. Many times, a user does not have the benefit of an assistant and must work alone.
What is needed is a fifth wheel hitch wherein the jaws automatically capture and lock the kingpin therein.
What is also needed is a fifth wheel hitch wherein a user working alone can first unlock the jaws and then drive the towing vehicle away from the trailer.